Pre-E3 2008: Deadly Creatures: Meet the Tarantula

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The stealthy killer fights a rattlesnake and sneaks past man.

By Matt Casamassina

In early April, we brought you the first look at Deadly Creatures, a new Wii-exclusive project from talented developer Rainbow Studios (MX vs. ATV Untamed). The atmospheric, dark action-adventure is a long way from dirt-bike racing. You take control of both a dangerous scorpion and a menacing tarantula through different missions, harnessing the abilities of each in order to advance along desert passageways, caves, and manmade structures such as a remote gas station, all the while fighting off a variety of hair-raising foes, from black widows to rattlesnakes. We've already written about the scorpion-based missions, filled with endless critter duels and carnage. Now, though, we've had the chance to check out the tarantula levels and we can state with conviction that if you've got a fear of arachnids, this is not your game,

Here's what you don't know about Deadly Creatures. It's got a deep, unpredictable storyline. One that's threaded into and told seamlessly between bouts of gameplay. The latest look at the title revealed much more of the mysterious tale, which centers on the tarantula and scorpion as they make their way from the depths of their natural dwellings into the structures of man. Why? We can't yet say. What we can divulge, though, is that their destinies intersect on multiple occasions and you will have the opportunity to see levels from each of the character's viewpoints. As hazardous as the creatures are, they are still small potatoes next to man, who towers over their world like some looming giant. And man may be up to no good, a story thread that rears up throughout the tale, culminating at a gas station explosion.

In one new cut-scene shown to us (and featured in our new videos), the scorpion and the tarantula face off for a brief moment before the landscape surrounding them begins to shake, rocks falling, dirt spilling. In the background, you're able to see two humungous men walking by, shovels in their hands. They've journeyed out into the desert to dig something up. According to Rainbow Studios, the critters become connected to this developing plot, which winds through subjects such as betrayal and even death. Based on the little we've seen and know of the yarn thus far, we're wholeheartedly intrigued. It's clear that the developer has attempted to produce a unique and gripping story that proves man himself is just as frightening as any eight-legged creepy-crawly. Rainbow has gone all out to make the yarn believable, teaming with THQ to contract major Hollywood actors to voice the roles of some of the human characters in Deadly Creatures. Quizzed on who might be lending their voice talents to the game, Rainbow reps remained quiet, but did indicate that we would be blown away when the roster was announced sometime soon.

In our preview two months ago, we focused on the scorpion -- the tank of the game. He runs full force ahead, tail ready to strike, and powers his way through missions. The tarantula is an altogether different beast -- one able to slink and sneak upon pray, disposing them in one quick pounce. You know Rainbow has done its job when you can't help but squirm watching the character model slink across the world, its hairy legs animating fluidly. The company has created highly detailed 3D models, going for more realism than we've seen in a lot of Wii titles. The scorpion definitely looks good, but the tarantula steals the show -- the model is simply eerily true to form. The developer reluctantly came to the decision not to zoom the camera in too closely on the creatures during fights, as it limits the view of the action. It's almost a shame because the tarantula in particular looks spectacular up close -- you can see every last hair when it rears up on its hind legs and prepares to shoot a web or to jump down onto an unsuspecting enemy insect.

You control the tarantula with the analog stick. It can crawl up the sides of walls and later it's also able to scurry upside-down on ceilings. These abilities are amusing when squaring off against other creatures -- if you damage enemies, they will free fall from the ceiling or wall and to their untimely deaths. You can jump over barriers and spin a web, which will pull you forward or upward, depending on the angle To shoot webbing, you use the Wii remote's infrared pointer, aiming at trigger points (other webs) located throughout levels. You can also shoot stun webs at opponents, dazing them temporarily so that you can run forward and kill them. These maneuvers are enhanced through sound effects designed to give you the shivers. The tarantula hisses and screeches as it attacks and some foes, like black widows, make obscure clicking noises when they die. You're going to cringe. Easily the most disturbing of all the maneuvers available to you, though, is the tarantula's stealth attack. It can lurk undetected atop ledges and from great distances and when you line up a reticule with an enemy using the Wii remote, it screeches and lurches into the air or down to the ground below, pouncing on unaware insects and critters. Seeing its front legs raised in an attack stance gives us the creeps every time. The tarantula can also execute a quasi-roundhouse kick and even combo together attacks, but you'll want to use stealth just as much as you do force.

In one of the stages demoed to us, the tarantula must face off against a huge, venomous rattlesnake, which would clearly like nothing more than to devour the eight-legged creature whole. The entire fight is exceptionally cinematic and tense, in part because of the clean visuals and fluid animation, but also in part because of the fantastic sound effects and ultra moody score, ripped right out of a horror movie. The snake sits atop a rocky ledge, ready to attack. When it strikes, you have to dodge out of its way and eventually it will drop its tail, perfect for the biting. You'll need to shake the nunchuk to the left or right to hop out of its way. If you're good enough, you'll trick the snake into clearing a path that houses your escape. Somehow, we get the feeling this won't be the last you see of the rattler, though.

Deadly Creatures comes to life with some of the best visuals on Wii. Rainbow has pushed the hardware to deliver commendably detailed main character models and some environments that are beautifully skinned with crisp textures and colored with a convincing, ambient palette. A few of the locales boast a great amount of 3D geometry, too. In one such area, you'll see dozens of different, twisting branches layered in the background as the tarantula walks through. Rainbow Studios says that it still wants to add some background animations to this area so that you'll be able to see peering eyes behind trees and critters running away as you crawl. The downside to the great tech and art package, however, is that the admittedly unfinished game still runs with some framerate slowdowns, and the camera occasionally hiccups, losing sight of the tarantula as it crawls over ledges, flipping the viewpoint. We're hopeful that the studio can work the finer details before the game ships this Halloween. Even with these quibbles, Deadly Creatures is quickly becoming one of the most compelling third-party games to hit Nintendo's console, as evidenced by the fact that we already can't wait to sit down and play through the game from beginning to end, taking in the story nuances even as we pounce onto and devour crickets.